I was under the impression all new money in London in recent years was drawn down from the TfL strategic reserve (as a less controversial alternative than raising fares/commercial revenues or cutting services). So not really new money. New as in Gordon Brown has sold all the gold new.The Elizabeth line has comfortably exceeded all revenue forecasts, and that’s without considering the wider economic contribution it makes, so it’s clear that telling the staff “there’s no money” isn’t going to wash. This is also why it’s imperative that the dispute is resolved, as the outages will come with a cost to the wider economy which is far excess of any small increase in the pay award.
That's the whole point of the strike. It's supposed to disrupt those who have absolutely no say in the matter. Every man and his dog knows the strike will be suspended at extremely short notice to allow for further talks. Which will always be the case unless or until Labour changes their approach.From the perspective of travelers and tourists, we feel that we can no longer ever assume that the Elizabeth Line will actually be running on the days we would need it, so it might as well not exist when it comes to travel planning and decision-making. It's not the only factor when making travel decisions, obviously, but it can tip the scales. I do avoid traveling to airports that have poor public transit connections, as do many travelers, if we have the option of going elsewhere. So, the overall economy of the UK will be negatively impacted by the strike in ways that aren't directly measurable.
Because the unions don't seem the least bit concerned about the wider risk to the Labour project, such as Reform curious voters concluding Labour's first term was a failure and it's time for a change. Moderates seeking a new direction, anxiety riddled young people seeking a strongman.
In manufacturing it's quite common to have almost a five day week compressed into three shifts, usually across a weekend, often as a permanent arrangement.People get hung up on "4 day week" a lot, but that's compressed hours into a small number of days, hence longer shifts than your average 35-36hr worker. So swings and roundabouts.
It works for both sides and fits worker's needs (and expectations) in the modern world - childcare, fair pay, respect, career paths. It works so well that grown men (and women) are even trusted to arrange their own lives between peers, without interference from union reps or managers.
